


Finding Gallifrey

by thedoctorofsteel



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-12
Updated: 2015-04-12
Packaged: 2018-03-22 11:38:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3727450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedoctorofsteel/pseuds/thedoctorofsteel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor's first day alone with their baby.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Finding Gallifrey

'There's two bottles in the fridge and nap time is at two. Oh and-'  
The Doctor grabbed Rose's hands. 'It's alright, Rose. I can do this. I've been a father before, remember? Go to work. They'll have missed you.'  
'Ya. Okay.' She smiled and gave him a peck on the lips.   
It was Rose's first day back at work from her maternity leave. The Doctor had worked while she had been on leave. Due to the flexibility provided them by Torchwood they had agreed to take turns being the stay at home parent. Their son, Gallifrey was almost a year old now and was already running around the house almost faster than they could keep up.   
Gallifrey had been playing with blocks but now stumbled up to Rose and tugged at her trousers leg. She picked him up and kissed the ginger locks on the top of his head. The DNA that her husband had gotten from Donna seemed to have affected their child's hair colour.   
'I have to go to work now but I'll be home for supper, 'kay?' She handed him to her husband then gave them both one more kiss and left.  
'Alright, Gale.' That nickname was the only reason the Doctor agreed to the name, Gallifrey. 'What shall we do to-ow ow ow!' Gale had grabbed hold of his ear and yanked on it. The Doctor gently grabbed Gale's hand and removed it from his ear then gingerly rubbed his earlobe. 'Don't do that.' Then under his breath he mumbled, 'Though I suppose you got that from me.'  
He decided to bring his son back over to the pile of blocks but as soon as he set him down Gale started bawling. He quickly picked him up again and the crying stopped. As an experiment he placed him on the ground and immediately the crying commenced then stopped again when he was picked back up.   
The Doctor rolled his eyes and groaned. 'Very well then.'  
Rose had had a late start and by this point it was nearly lunch time so he decided to make them both something to eat. He puttered around the kitchen, shifting Gale from one hip to the other, dropping spoons and making an utter mess. Simple things like making a meal were a lot more difficult when there was a baby on his hip.  
Finally lunch was made, though his was a little singed. He tried putting Gale in his high chair but he still refused to be put down so instead he balanced him on his knee and fed him mushy peas. The awkward feeding position resulted in a lot of the peas missing Gale's mouth entirely. By the end they were both covered in mush so the Doctor decided it was bath time and left his own lunch to be eaten later.  
To say Gallifrey wasn't cooperative with the bath would be an understatement. By the end of it the Doctor was drenched. He finally managed to get Gale out of the tub and into a towel but when he put him down to grab a clean diaper he immediately ran away at full speed. The Doctor rolled his eyes and chased after him. Gale rounded a corner and when the Doctor skidded into the hall it led to, Gale was gone. A small fluttering of panic arose in his chest. He pushed open the nearest unlatched door and burst through it into the laundry room.   
'Gale? You in here?'  
He didn't expect an answer but when he listened he could hear a faint giggle. He followed it to a pile of clothes that were ready to go in the wash and found Gale hidden among the dirty clothes. He picked him up and carried him back to the bathroom.  
'Blimey, you scared me. Don't run off like that. That-that you didn't get from me. That has your mum written all over it.'  
He entered the bathroom and made sure to close the door this time. After much struggle he finally got Gale into a diaper but didn't bother to attempt clothes. It was warm out, he could run around in his diaper. The Doctor's shirt was soaked so he pulled it off but didn't trust Gallifrey to stay still long enough for him to get a new one so he just decided to join his son in his shirtlessness.   
They spent the afternoon running around the living room, playing with Gallifrey's toys and playfully wrestling. By the time two o'clock rolled around they were both exhausted. The Doctor gave Gale a bottle and put on a movie, reclining on the couch. The movie was barely past the opening credits and Gale's bottle was barely touched when they were both sleeping soundly, son lying on his father's chest.   
~*~  
Rose had had a long first day back at work. She spent most of it gloomy, missing Gallifrey terribly. Eventually her team suggested she go home early and she gladly accepted the offer. As she approached the house she started humming cheerfully, glad to be back home. She entered the house and dropped her work bag by the door, slipping her shoes off of her feet. When she walked into the living room she saw her husband sleeping on the couch and a soft smile spread across her lips. She quietly went over to him and gave him a light kiss on the forehead.   
His eyes opened and when they focused enough to see her he sleepily smiled and mumbled, 'Hi, hun.'  
Rose pushed a lock of hair away from his forehead. 'Busy day?'  
He yawned and stretched his arms out. 'Ya.'  
'Gale down for a nap too?'  
'No he's-' He sat bolt upright and frantically looked around. 'Bloody hell! Where did he go this time?'  
'THIS TIME?! You've lost him more than once?!'  
The Doctor pouted at her. 'He's fast. And slippery.' He checked his watch. 'He can't have gone far. I was only out for an hour.'  
'He's been unsupervised for an hour?!'  
He scratched the back of his head. 'He was asleep with me for part of that.'  
Rose took off her coat and threw it at him. 'I thought you said you'd be fine! That you've done this before!'  
He caught the coat and set it on the couch beside him, standing up as he did so. 'I have. It's just been a few centuries. My dad skills are a little rusty...apparently.'  
Rose scoffed. 'Well, don't just stand there! Go find him!' She looked around nervously and bit at her thumb nail. 'Where could he have gone?'  
The Doctor touched his tongue to his top front teeth. 'Well, he hid in the laundry room last time.' Without another word he bolted toward the laundry room.   
Rose decided to check the cupboards in the kitchen. It was a hiding spot she fancied as a child. She opened each cupboard quickly and became more distressed each time Gale wasn't discovered. Finally she opened the pantry and there he was sitting on the floor with a big tub of honey, eating it by the fist full. Rose couldn't help but dissolve into laughter both from his state and from relief.   
'I found him!'  
The Doctor came tearing into the kitchen and skidded on the tile, stopping right beside her. He saw Gale with his goofy smile, honey covered hands, and wobbling stature and burst into laughter with Rose.   
'He looks drunk!' He shook his head then took the honey from him. 'I suppose it's time for bath number two.'  
Rose smiled at the sight of his two boys. Maybe she could give the Doctor another chance tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

> The last scene was based on an incident my parents had with me when I was about 2. They found me with a big tub of honey, drunk on the sugar.


End file.
